Monday, August 20, 2012

Witches Vs. Rape Victims

Dear Madame L,

I don't understand why people are so upset about a statement from Rep. Todd Akin saying that women who are really raped legitimately don't end up pregnant because their body rejects the product of that rape.

Sincerely,

Sincere

Dear Sincerely Sincere,

Thanks for giving Madame L a chance to clear this up, even if you could not possibly be seriously serious or sincere about this. Right? Please tell Madame L you're joking!

Rape is ALWAYS forcible, by definition. When a person is raped, whether it's by someone she or he knows or is married to or by a complete stranger, no matter what kind of clothes she was wearing, no matter how drunk or sober she was or where she was walking, it is rape.

And saying that if a woman was really raped she wouldn't become pregnant is simply ridiculous. That's like the old people in Salem who said if a woman wasn't really a witch, she would drown. Talk about a lose-lose proposition for vulnerable women!

If Rep. Akin is still running for the Senate in Missouri by tomorrow, it will be a triumph of stupidity and ignorance over decency.

And if you have any more stupid and/or ignorant questions like the one you asked Madame L today, please take them someplace else.

Contacting Madame L

Please share comments and questions with Madame L and other readers. You can comment directly on any posting here, or write to ellemadame{at}gmail{dot}com.

We agree on etiquette

Madame L suggested that commenters follow these rules:---Never be mean, snarky, or vulgar.---Express even strong disagreements with politeness and civility.---Greet the day with a song. (Off-line---unless you want to share the chorus with Madame L and her readers)

One commenter has added these suggestions:

My grandma, born in Germany but raised in Kentucky, taught me this:-Work hard - there are no excuses for not.-Work smart - if you think about it as you go you won't waste a lot of time reinventing something.-Be kind - always, to everyone.